The Sacramento Kings losing their third straight preseason game isn’t necessarily the worst thing, as wins are going to be hard to come by this season, and the fact that it’s just preseason and that the game outcomes don’t really matter. But losing a key player in the rebuilding process sure puts a damper on the exhibition game.
Maxime Raynaud exited the game near the end of the second half, and it didn’t look good. We’re still waiting to hear more, but given that Raynaud was wheeled off the court, it seems likely that the second-year big will miss some time.
The game went on to conclude with the Warriors taking down the Kings BLANK. Raynaud’s injury is clearly the key takeaway from the game, but here are three additional things we learned in the Kings’ third preseason game of the year.
Darius Acuff Is Legit
If it weren’t for the Raynaud injury, all eyes would be on Acuff for his performance tonight. He finished with 25 points, 8 assists, and 4 rebounds on 8-of-15 (53.3%) from the field, 4-of-6 (66.7%) from three, and a perfect 5-of-5 from the line.
It was clear that Acuff could put the ball in the bucket during the first two preseason games, but his efficiency continued to be a question mark following a similar trend in Summer League. It’s still just one game, but he helped put that talk to bed tonight, scoring effortlessly all night. The efficiency will likely ebb and flow for Acuff throughout the season, but it was great to see him knock down his looks at a higher clip.
The other impressive feat is that Acuff achieved that stat line in just over 27 minutes of action. He very well could have kept going, but as is the nature of preseason, he didn’t see the end of the game. It will be fun to see Acuff in the regular season once the training wheels get taken off.
Ben Simmons Debut
Another thing that makes Raynaud’s injury so unfortunate is that Ben Simmons finally made his Kings debut and looked great in his return to action. His stat line doesn’t jump off the page, as he finished with seven points and one assist, but he looked smooth and comfortable on the court, which is more important than any numbers in his first game back in over a year.
The three-time All-Star even hit a step back mid-range jumper, which is safe to say something many don’t expect him to pull out of his bag given his reputation around the league.
Simmons will need more time to show what he can do with the Kings, but tonight was a great start, and the former number one overall pick already looks like a lock for a key rotational spot for the Kings next year.
De’Andre Hunter Slow Start Continues
As good as Simmons makes his case for more minutes, the same can’t be said about De’Andre Hunter, who once again struggled to the tune of four points, three rebounds, an assist, and two turnovers in 18:31 minutes. He made just two of his eight shots and missed both of his threes.
There’s a clear positional battle brewing before us, and Hunter is going the wrong way to start the preseason. Throughout most of the offseason, Hunter has seemed like a lock to be the fifth starter next to Acuff, Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray, and Domantas Sabonis, but with Simmons late free agent signing, that spot could be up for grabs.
While Hunter is a proven veteran in the league, he’s shifted between starter and sixth man throughout his seven-year career and appears to be on the bubble again heading into his first full season with the Kings. To give him credit, though, Hunter did have some nice defensive plays and had a great dunk that reminded everyone of his length and athleticism.
Sacramento will get their next chance at a preseason win on Tuesday as they host the Portland Trail Blazers as we wait to hear more on Raynaud’s injury.
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